Kentucky’s Lopsided Recovery
Job growth in Kentucky has picked up over the last year, and every county saw a decline in its unemployment...
Research
What the Research Says about “Right-to-Work” Laws, Employment and Wages
As several Kentucky counties have passed or are considering local “right to work” (RTW) laws, serious research calls the benefits of such laws into question. The best evidence suggests that RTW...
April 15 Isn’t Popular, But Taxes Still Important
Few people like Tax Day. Filling out forms and mailing off checks doesn’t usually inspire reflection on the bigger purpose of taxes. Yet most people can agree on the priorities...
Kentucky a Loser in Proposed Tax Giveaway to Wealthiest
The U. S. House of Representatives is expected to vote this week to repeal the federal estate tax, an idea that would worsen growing inequality and reduce revenue needed for...
How Several Bills Passed This Session Changed the State Budget
The 2015 General Assembly reopened the 2014-2016 budget to appropriate new monies for several initiatives. These were largely paid for — and the state’s rainy day fund was boosted by...
County, Rural Roads Will Lose Millions Without Gas Tax Freeze
The clock is ticking on the 2015 session and legislators have yet to guard Kentucky’s city and county roads and bridges from the consequences of a pending 5.1 cent drop...
Inaction on Gas Tax Will Drop Rate to Historically Low Levels
lf legislators end the 2015 session without preventing the pending 5.1 cent drop in the gas tax, the rate will fall to a level near its historic low over the...
Local Economies Harmed If Lawmakers Fail to Safeguard Road Fund
With just two days left in the 2015 General Assembly, legislators are running out of time to protect the Road Fund from another decrease in the motor fuels tax. On...
Minority Working Families in Kentucky Far Behind Economically
A new report highlights a sharp racial/ethnic divide among working families in Kentucky. While the majority of low-income working families in the state are white, 52 percent of minority working...
Who Stands to Benefit from a Minimum Wage Increase in Lexington
The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council is considering an incremental minimum wage increase to $10.10 per hour for its workers over the next three years. Kentucky Center for Economic Policy analysis...